11ationB. Rones . ohariota. The thinga (I Kings xiv. 23). A pillar to mark a plclce most ueoo in attack and defenoe, and for- consecrated to the worship of the Lord wa& bidden by God BS betraying diatrust in his allowed (see Gen. xxviii. 18; :nxi. 18, 45; providenoe (comp. Deut. xvii. 16; le:i.. ii. 7; Isa. xix. 17). It we.a when this ouatom z.,.oh. ix. 10). In the reign of the rrince of degenerated into idolatry that it was steruly Peaoo all war shall ooue (Is&. ix. 4-6). denounced (Dent. xvi. 22; xxvii. 15, eto.). Ver. 11.-Citiea. AbodeB of luxnry and Ver. 14.-Thy grove■ (.daherim); Exod. pride. From M881!iah's kingdom all pomp xxxiv. 18; Deut. vii. 5, etc. Asherab tmd vain-glory shall be shut oul Strong was a Ca.naanitish goddess, whose worship. holda. Snoh defences shall not be needed was oelebre.ted with licentious rites. She nor allowed ( oomp. Isa. ii. 15; Zeoh. ii. oorrespon<ls to the Ashtoreth of the Phceni- "5). oiana and lshtar of the Assyrians, and seem• Ver. 12.~Wituhorafta. Magic and sorcery, to have been adored as the goddeilll of the which were much practised in Syria and productive power of natnre, Her symbol Palestine, os in Chaldea, the literature of WBS a. tree _or a wooden post. So (and) which country consists in great part of will I destroy thy oitiea; i.e. those cities 11pelle and charms. It is t.o the belief in the which have been the centres of idolatry,-ot efficacy of l!llch incantations thot we owe the a.re especially connected with such worship episode of Balak and Ba.la.am (Numb. xxii. (comp. Amos v. 5). The word rendered -xxiv.), and the enactments in the Law; " cities" has by some been translated, and e.g. Dent. xviii. 10, etc. ( comp. Isa. ii. 6; by others baa been so altered as to be xlvii. 12). Septuagint, .,.,. ,pd.pµa.1td. trau, translated, "adversaries;" but there is no "thy poieons;" Vulgate, maleficia. Sootli.- variety in the reading, or in the rendering uyen; properly, cloud-di11inerB, or storm- of tho ancient versions ( except the Ta.r- makers; either persons who profe8Sed to gum); and, explained as above, it is no- divine by means of the shape a.nd oolour mere repetition of the thought in ver. 11. of clouds, or, as the old Scandinavian Ver. 15.-The time of Messiah is the era witch011, oharlat&ns who 88SllDled the power when judgment BhaJl fe.11 on the obdurate of oaUBing and directing st.orms. Cheyne heathen. Such as they have not heard; compares the common name of sorcerers rather, which ha11e·not hearkened, which a.re among savages, .. rain-makers." disobedient. Beptu.a.giut, "Because they Ver. 13.-Gra.ven imagel, of stone or hearkened not" (comp. Isa. lxvi 15-18'; metal (Lev. :x:xvi. 1). standing image•; Joel iii. 9, etc. ; Zeph. iii. 8 ; Hag. iL 22;. Septuagint, Tas trr11A.d.s irau, "thy columns;" 2 These. i. 7-10). It is implied that Vulgate, Btatuaa tuas. These are stone some of the heathen will hearken to the imagell or pillan dedicated to false goda revelation of Jehovah by the Messiah.,·
HOMILETICS.
Ver. 2.-Bethlehem Ephra,tah. I. THE NAME OF THE PLACE 18 VEBY SVGGEBTIVB. Bethlehem; i.e. "House of bread." Ephratah ; i.e. "Fruitfulness." Both thn& signified plenty, abundance, fertility. They were most appropriate as designating thQ spot, for fertility has been and is still characteristic of that locality. "It is now a large village, beautifully situated on the brow of a high hill, which commands an extensive view of the surrounding mountainous country, and rises in parterres ot vineyards, almond groves, and fig plantations, watered by gentle rivulets that murmur through the terraces ; and is divereined by towers and wine-presses" (Kitto's 'Cyclopmdia,' art. " Bethlehem,'' voL i. p. 326; see also Porter's 'Handbook,' p. 206)• The place iu itB rich fruitfulness was symbolical of that spiritual abundonce which should be secured to the world by him who is" the Bread of life" (John vi. 33-35),. and the seed-corn to fall into the ground and die, and thus to bring forth much fruit (John xii. 24). II. THE LOWLTh'EBB OF THE PLACE rs ALSO SUGGESTIVE. From Numb. i. 5-16 and L 4 we learn that each of the tribes of Israel had its thousands of fighting men, each thousand having its appointed leader; whilst from the Dook of Joshua we gather that this appointment was continued after the settlement of Canaan (xxii. 21, 30). So in.significant, however, was Bethlehem that it could make but a small contribution towards this arrangement, and hence was "least among the thousands of Judah.n Yet upon this lowly place honour was to be conferred in the birth there of the world'&- ~eeiller. The small was to become great, and the mean exalted. Ar0und it& pl.aw the glory of the Lord should ~hine, and the songs of angels should resound,.. cu. v. 1-15.] THE BOOK OF MICAH. 71